The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-04-09
FOR The UNIvERsALIsT.
WHAT BECAME OF HIM.
BY LUCY BARNES HOLLY.

One day the Marchioness, as / called
her, and her little niece May, set out fol
drive. Indeed, it was one of the many
drives that the Marchioness often took
from one of her grand possessions to the
other-for she had many landed estates
where the vine, the fig and the almond
throve under the genial summer skies of
California, and where the luscious mueca-
tells, with their rich juices dried in them
were pressed into tempting punches OF
raisins.
The Marchioness exercised a supervi-
sion over all her ranches; the only differ
ence, with this ranch at Oak Haven, being
that she had set it apart as her home; yet
owing to her frequent absence it SEEM
ed only that in name. The Marchioness
was widow, and l her spinster house.
keeper, Maria, had served her at Oak
Haven for years; at times being her only
companion. But ihis life was by no
means monotonous for there was always
a rush of business, and occasionally gay
visitors filed the house with fresh vital.
ty. At present the Marchioness' niece
May, bright young miss, had come to
pass the holidays with her, and the
Marchioness relaxed somewhat from the
grand ways that came naturally enough
to her, for besides being born to COM
mand, all the circumstances OF her life
had been favorable to the development
of this Unborn tendency.
In her own domain she reigned as a
queen, for the laborers on the ranch,
whether white or Chinese came and went
at the slightest beck of her small hand;
and | as the rest was one OF her devoted
subjects. | knew Of no existence outside
of her desires; even my thoughts acknowl-
edged the thraldom, and instead of wan
dering "iancy-tree" would still hover
around the Warehouses, surrounding her
with halo OF romance; and the March
ioness never failed to furnish one with
sufficient food for heroic thought, for she
was subject to the most wonderful adj
ventures that ever happened to mortal.
That this should be so seemed rather a
fatality Of temperament than of circum-
stance, for being something of poet and
an artist, according as the mood swayed
her, she gave even to common events
coloring, grotesque or tragical; and no
one could relate these same adventures
more thrillingly tina herself; the whilst
by her magnetic power she bent her list
eners to her minds will, as easily as the
wind sways the reed.
The Warehouses, whom [ have said.
was subject to moods, was on this particu
lar morning in high spirits, and as 1
stood on the porch awaiting her depart
ure, she gaily waved her hand in adieu
to me. The meadow-larks trilled their
sweet songs, and the modest linnets filed
in the pauses with their soft notes - the
peoples sent ont tongues of fame to chal.
lenge the brightness of the sun: and
never was Italian sky of softer, more
translucent blue than this December sky
under which, as royal canopy, the
Marchioness and her niece passed amidst
bright sallies and gay laughter.
But in the midst of the merrimsnt May
cried out, pointing to forlorn object by
the roadside, "Oh, auntie, see that poor
old manp
The Warehouses, whose sympathies
were aa alert as those of a child, stopped
her carriage, aud addressed the old man